Equity Talk: The Curb-Cut Effect

At Center for Powerful Public Schools, we have implemented an Equity iGroup. Once a month, we gather and use protocols and resources to take a deep dive into the various layers of equity.

This month we discussed what Angela Glover Blackwell has dubbed “The Curb-Cut Effect.” The Curb-Cut Effect is something that was meant to help one population but essentially ended up helping everyone else as well.

There’s an ingrained societal suspicion that intentionally supporting one group hurts another. That equity is a zero sum game. In fact, when the nation targets support where it is needed most—when we create the circumstances that allow those who have been left behind to participate and contribute fully—everyone wins. The corollary is also true: When we ignore the challenges faced by the most vulnerable among us, those challenges, magnified many times over, become a drag on economic growth, prosperity, and national well-being. -Angela Glover Backwell, The Curb-Cut Effect

To better debrief this article, we used the “3 Levels of Text Protocol.” Through this protocol, we picked out the quotes that stood out to us the most and tied it back to the work we are individually doing at the Center.

Taking the time to participate in monthly Equity iGroup meetings ensures that everyone at the Center continues to keep equity at the forefront in their day-to-day work.

Sara Maldonado

Sara Maldonado specializes in digital communications and client relations. At Center for Powerful Public Schools, she oversees the organization’s communication strategies and digital channels.